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INAUGURAL  ESSAY 

O N T H E 

ANTHELMINTIC  QIJ  A L I T Y 

O f'i  the 

Phafeolus  Zuratenfis  Siliqua  hirfuta, 

O R 

COW-ITCH. 

Submitted  to  the  EXAMINATION  of  the 

Rev.  MYLES  COOPER,  L.  L.  D.  President, 
The  GOVERNORS, 

And  MEDICAL  PROFESSORS 

O F 

KING’S  COLLEGE,  in  NEW-YORK, 

For  the  Degree  of  D O C T O R In  P H Y S I C,  at  the 
ANNUAL  COMME  NCEMENT,  May  21,  1771. 

By  SAMUEL  KISSAM,  M.  B. 

Phcsle  fa^e,  nevus  ingreditur  tua  Templa  Socerdos, 

N E W - Y O R K : 

Printed  by  S,  I N S L E E,  and  A.  C A R,  at  the  New. 
Printing-Office,  on  Beekmak’s-Slip. 

M.DCC.LXXr. 


X 

K \ ^ s.  (X  M 


T O 


BENJAMIN  KISSAM;  Efqj 

AND 

JOHN  BARDj  SuRGEONj 

At  N E W - Y O R K I 

This  ESSAY  is  infcribed 

With  Respect  and  Gratitude, 

By  their  moft  obliged. 

And  moft  devoted, 
Humble  Servant, 


SAMUEL  KISSAM- 


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A N 


INAUGURAL  ESSAY 


O N T H E 


ANTHELMINTIC  QJJALITY 

OF  THE 

PHASEOLUS  ZURATENSIS  SILIQUA  HIRSUTA, 

O R 


HE  diforders  of  children  afllime  fuch 


various  appearances,  that  the  moft  minute 


obfervers  are  frequently  at  a lofs  to  inveftigate 
the  caufes  of  their  complaints.  There  are  four 
different  fources  from  which  they  moft  commonly 
originate.  The  Meconium,  the  prevalence  of 
acidity  in  the  primse  via?,  cutting  of  their  teeth, 
and  worms.  The  latter  of  thefe  ihall  be  the 
fubjedt  of  the  following  essay. 


COW-ITCH. 


C 2 ] 


Worms  which  commonly  infcdt  the  humani 
body,  are  divided  into  three  fpeciesj  the  Lum- 
bricus  or  fraooth  round  worm  j the  Afcarides  or 
fnort  pointed  worm ; and  the  Tinea  or  jointed 
tape  vv^orm.  The  two  former  moft  frequently 
produce  diforders  in  children ; the  latter,  though 
children  are  fometimes  affiidled  with  them, 
feems  more  peculiar  to  adults,  and  is  not  unfre- 
quently  the  fource  of  complaint  in  them. 

Various  opinions  have  been  conceived  con- 
cerning the  generation  of  v/orms : it  appears  how- 
ever unqueftionabie,  that  they  are  produced  from 
the  ova  of  infefls  living  in  the  air,  and  depofited 
in  fome  part  of  the  aliment,  by  which  they  are 
conveyed  into  the  ftom^ach;  where,  if  the  digeffcive 
powers  are  not  fjfficiently  flrong  for  their  deftruc- 
tion,  they  grow  to  maturity:  and  hence  are  rnofl 
peculiar  to  children,  and  perfons  of  languid  , 
imperfed  digeftions,  being  fcarce  ever  difcovered 
In  vigorous  healthy  adults.  Some  kinds  of  diet 
are  more  particularly  favourable  to  the  produdion 
of  worms,  efpecially  that  which  confifts  of  raw- 
vegetables  : Hence  there  is  no  country  in  whiclv 

they 


Lhey  are  more  prevalent  than  in  Surinam,  where 
the  fiaves  are  almoft  wholly  fed  upon  Plantens  and 
Bananoes,  which  are  frequently  eaten  raw,  both 
by  adults  and  children:  and  the  verminous  ova 
contained  in  them  left  undeilroyed  in  the  ftomachs 
of  the  latter 5 and  thofe  of  the  former,  whofs 
digefdve  organs  are  weak  and  languid. 

Worms  prove  pernicious  by  obilru6ling  the 
inteftines,  and  compreffing  the  neigbouring  parts  j 
by  confuming  the  chyle  intended  for  the  nourilhi- 
ment  of  the  patient,  and  by  irritating  and  inflam- 
ing the  internal  coat  of  the  guts  j and  fometimes*' 
perforating  them.  Hence  the  fymptoms  which 
ufually  attend  children  afflidted  with  worms,  are 
an  offenfive  breath,  frequent,  fudden  and  tranfient 
pains  in  different  parts  of  the  belly,  an  unufual 
fiov/  of  fpittle  from  the  mouth,  efpecially  when 
the  ftomach  is  empty,  an  itching  of  the  nofe, 
which  they  frequently  rub,  an  irregular  appetite, 
fometimes  voracious,  at  others  entirely  wanting 
difpofition  to  puke,  and  frequent  ftools  of  crude 
indigefted  matter,  an  unhealthy  countenance  vary- 

* TilTot  on  Health,  p.  38S. 


[ 4 1 


ing  often  in  a day:  The  belly  is  larger  than  in 
health,  whilfl;  the  other  parts  of  the  body  are 
meagre;  an  unufual  laflitude,  and  a melancholy 
afpeft.  The  eyes  are  furrounded  with  a 
livid  circle,  their  fieep  mofl:  commonly  interrupted 
with  ftarting  and  terrifying  dreams,  a frequent 
grinding  of  the  teeth,  a pale  coloured  urine,  an 
irregular  pulfe,  and  fometimes  a profound  drowfi- 
nefs : They  are  often  afflicted  with  fwooning,  con- 
vulfions,  cold  fweats,  and  fevers,  both  with  inflama- 
tory  and  malignant  appearances,  attended  with  an 
unquenchable  thirft.  They  have  a fmall  dry 
cough,  a difficulty  of  breathing,  with  one  hand 
frequently  applied  to  the  throat.  They  have 
paifies  of  the  extremities,  with  a lofs  of  fight  and 
fpeech,  their  gums  appear  to  be  corroded,  and 
the  head  is  fometimes  irrefiftably  thrown  back  as 
in  a Tetanus. 

These  fymptoms  however,  are  fo  far  from 
being  peculiar  to  complaints  arifing  folely  from 
worms,  that  many  of  them  conftitute  diforders 
wholly  independent  of  fuch  vermin.  There  is 
neverthelefs  great  reafon  p believ^,  that  all  the 

above 


r 5 ] 


above  cnurrierated  fymptoms  have  often  had  their 
origin  from  that  fource  aiene.  Hence  arifes  the 
difficulty  of  forming  an  invariable  diagnoftic  of 
the  exiflence  of  worms  as  the  fource  of  complaints 
in  children;  there  are  fuch  variety  of  fymptoms 
in  different  cafes,  that  no  one  can  be  affigned  as 
an  invariable  rule  for  fuch  a determination.  This 
difficulty  however  ffiould  not  difeourage  the 
exhibition  of  remedies  for  their  deftrudion ; pro* 
vided  fuch  remedies  do  not  interfere  with  the  indi- 
cations of  cure  under  the  prevailing  fymptoms; 
nor  ffiould  a blind  enthufiaftic  opinion  that  all 
inflammatory  appearances  in  the  diforders  of 
children  denote  the  prevalence  of  worms,  prevent 
the  timely  ufe  of  antiphlogyftics ; this  would  be 
as  abfurd  as  to  fuppofe  that  children  could  not  be 
pbnoxious  to  inflammatory  complaints.  Such 
opinions  prevail  at  the  prefent  day;  but  they  arc 
dangerous  in  a profeffion  where  reafon  as  well  as 
experience  ought  to  have  fome  influence  in  our 
determinations. 

Various  are  the  effeds  produced  by  worms  in 
different  conftitutions;  in  fome  children  who  have 

but 


[ ^ ] 


but  few,  they  produce  many  alarming  fymptoms: 
others  in  whom  they  encrmoufly  abound,  find, 
little  inconvenience  from  them ; whether  this 
difference  refults  from  any  peculiar  dirpofition 
in  one  patient  to  be  more  accutely  fenfible  of 
impreflions  conveyed  by  fuch  animals,  or  whether 
fuppofing  the  conftitution  of  each  to  pofTefs 
an  equal  degree  of  fenfibility,  the  adivity  of 
tlie  animals  proves  injurious  to  the  one,  and 
their  inadtivity  harmlefs  to  the  other : or  whe- 
ther it  refults  from  their  fituation  in  the  ali- 
mentary paifage,  is  not  yet  fully  determined. 
It  appears  however  indifputable,  that  the  latter 
has  fome  fhare  in  conftituting  this  difference ; 
there  can  be  no  other  rational  method  of 
accounting  for  many  of  the  fymptoms  which 
occur.  Thofe  in  whom  worms  prevail  could 
not  be  deprived  of  the  benefit  of  their  food 
was  not  the  fituation  of  fuch  animals  above 
the  cscum ; The  chyle  v/ould  purfue  its  wont- 
ed courfe  into  the  ladleals,  and  the  nourifh* 
ment  of  the  patient  could  meet  with  no  in- 
terruption ; nor  is  it  unreafonable  to  fuppofe 
that  an  infatiabk  appetite  denotes  the  flomach 


to 


[ 7 ] 

to  be  the  place  of  their  exiusnee : becaufc  in- 
no  other  fituation  could  they  eltect  fo  imme- 
diate a confumpticn  of  the  food  as  to  produce 
that  quick  fiiceeffive  hunger  of  v>^hich  children 
often  complain.  Hence  I would  infer  that 
VtTorms  may  prove  much  more  injurious,  by 
being  fituate  in  the  ftomach  and  fmall  intef- 
tines,  than  in  the  large  •,  in  the  former  they 
not  only  irritate  and  pbilru(51:  them,  but  deprive 
the  patient  of  his  nouriihment.  In  the  latter, 
the  irritation  and  obilruclicn,  is  the  only  injury 
to  which  he  would  be  liable. 

To  enter  into  minute  detail  of  the  ratio 
fymptomatum  pr.t  need  by  worms,  would  be 
a tailc  to  which  I confefs  myfrrlf  unequal ; nor 
does  there  feem  to‘-*be  much  neceffity  for  fuch 
an  undertaking,  iince  the  efficacy  of  remedies 
offered  for  their  defrruflion,  cannot  by  that 
means  be  increa-'ed. 

The  moft  pov/erful  vermifuges  with  which 
we  have  hitherto  been  acquainted,  are  prepa- 
rations of  M<^cury,  Aloes,  Rhubarb,  Jallap, 
s { Steel, 


Steel,  Tin,  Sulphur,  and  a variety  of  otliers, 
too  tedious  to  meotion.  The  aftive  properties 
of  which  many  of  thefe  are  compofed,  render 
them  unfafe  when  given  in  large  dofes,  and 
when  exhibited  in  the  ufual  dofc,  they  prove 
infufScient  for  the  deftrudion  of  worms.  There 
is  one  other  remedy  however,  which  is  I believe 
unknown,  as  a vermifuge  in  the  northern  parts 
of  America. — The  Pbafedus  Zuratenfis  filiqua 
hirfuta^  or  Cow-itch.  Its  efficacy  is  indifpute- 
able ; nor  will  it  be  attended  with  the  fame 
objedions  to  which  the  c hers  ^.c  liable.  The 
part  of  this  plant  which  is  iiiac;  ufe  of,  is  the  hairy 
fubftance  growing  on  the  or  Tide  of  the  pod.  It 
is  compofed  of  an  affemblage  of  exquifitely  fine 
fpicula,  fo  accutely  pointed,  as  when  applied  to 
the  fkin,  to  excite  an  intv^erable  itching  and 
inflammation  of  the  part.  Hence  when  fuggelled 
to  me  as  a vermifuge,  I apprehended  danger- 
ous confequences  from  its  con*  .ct  with  the  coats 
of  the  ftomach  and  intefl’-.cs ; nor  could  I be 
prevailed  upon  to  retr  ;t  my  opinion,  until 
experience  had  convinced  me  o*  its  fafecy. 


[ 9 ] 


The  method  in  which  it  is  ufually  givena' 
is  in  the  the  form  of  a thin  elefluary,  mixed 
either  with  molafies  dr  comimon  firup,  until  it 
acquires  that  conuilence  j a tea  fpoon  full  of 
which  may  be  given  to  a child  of  two,  three 
6r  four  years  old,  and  double  that  quantity 
to  an  adult ; in  this  manner  it  is  to  be  con- 
tinued for  three  fucceeding  mornings,  after 
which  a dofe  of  rhubaib  may  be  given  to 
advantag-e. 

At  iirfc  I attributed  the  innocence  of  this 
reiTiedy  when  taken  into  the  ftomach,  to  the 
manner  of  exhibiting  it.  Suppofing  that  by 
the  firup,  the  elafticity  of  its  parts  might  in 
fome  meafure  be  impaired,  and  become  lefs 
active  than  in  its  dry  and  fimple  (late : But 
the  following  experiment  proved  my  conjedute 
to  have  no  foundation  in  truth. 

I applied  to  the  back  of  one  of  my  hands 
a;  fmall  quantity  of  dry  Cow-Itch,  and  to  the 
other  at  the  fame  time,  nearly  the  fame  quantity 
intimately  blended  with  firup,  agreeable  to  the 

B above' 


[ 10  ] 


above  prefcription,  without  being  able  to  dif- 
cover  the  leafb  perceivable  difference  in  its 
operation,  either  in  point  of  time  or  fevcrity  ; 
Hence  I think  it  indifputable  that  the  ftimu- 
lating  properties  of  the  Cow-Itch  are  carried 
into  the  ftomach  with  it.  The  ftomach  is 
doubtlels  infenfible  of  its  operation  ; Willing 
to  believe  that  this  infenhbiiity  was  owing  to 
fome  affignable  caufe,  I imputed  it  to  the  mucus 
with  which  the  ftomach  is  lined  j fuppofing  it 
to  poffefs  a power  of  flaeathing  the  points  of 
the  fpicula,  and  by  that  means  leffening  their 
adlivity.  But  there  feems  little  neceffity  for 
fuch  a fuppofition,  fince  the  tongue  and  roof 
of  the  mouth  are  equally  infenfible  of  its 
effedls,  independent  of  any  properties  in  the 
faliva  or  mucus  to  prevent  its  operation. 
This  will  be  beft  illuftrated  by  experiment. 

I MIXED  with  Saliva  a fmall  quantity  of 
Cow-Itch,  and  applied  it  to  the  back  of  my 
hand,  then  took  the  fame  quantity  of  dry 
Cow-Itch  into  my  mouth ; that  upon  my  hand 
fpeedily  produced  a very  fcnfible  iritationj, 

whilft 


[ II  ] 


whilil  my  tongue  and  the  roof  of  my  mouth 
were  entirely  free  from  the  kail  perceivable 
uneafinefs. 

Altho’  the  whole  alimentary  pafiage  feems 
to  be  infenfible  of  this  ftimulus,  yet  I can- 
not conceive  any  other  quality  on  which  its 
efficacy  as  a vermifuge  depends,  efpecially  after 
having  given  it  to  worm  patients,  both  in 
tindlure  and  decodlion  without  the  lead:  fen- 
fible  advantage.  This  opinion  however  will 
be  ftill  lefs  liable  to  obje<flions,  by  attending 
to  the  following  experiment. 

To  feveral  common  earth  worms,  which 
have  fuch  a fimilitude  to  one  fpecies  of  worms 
infeiling  the  human  body,  that  Linnscus  in  his 
defeription  has  made  no  diftin(ftion  between 
them,  I applied  when  motionlefs  and  undif- 
turbed,  a quantity  of  dry  Cow-Itch ; in  every 
inftance,  the  mornent  it  touched  them,  they 
difeovered  figns  of  pain,  by  immediate  and 
brifk  agitation ; nor  was  the  effedt  lefs  con- 
fiderable  upon  the  application  of  it  when  mixed 
with  firup  or  molalTes  : If  freely  applied  in  either 
way  it  produces  a flow  but  inevitable  death. 


[ ] 


There  is  fomething  in  the  corofn/e  ftibllmate 
particularly  deliterious  to  worms.  One  lingle 
drop  from  an  ounce  of  water,  wherein  one 
grain  of  well  levigated  fublirhatc  is  diffolved, 
being  dropped  upon  an  earth  worm  inllanily 
produces  the  molt  violent  convulfions;  and  if 
condned  in  the  fame  folution  for  the  fpace  of 
five  minutes  it  is  inevitable  death.  Lefs  than- 
half  a grain  of  fublimatc  being  applied  in  fub- 
fiance  upon  an  earth  worm  effefts  his  de- 
flruflion  in  two  minutes.  Whether  enounh 

O 

of  the  folution  might  not  be  given  to  prove 
dehruflive  of  worms,  without  being  injurious 
to  the  human  botiy,  wants  the  tell  of  exoe- 
rience.  There  is  no  medicine  in  the  whole 
catalogue  of  vermifuges  which  proves  deliteri- 
cus  to  worms  from  its  ftimulating  quality,  but 
which  likewife  proves  ftimulating  to  the  nervous 
coat  of  the  ftomach  and  inteftines ; hence  their 
exhibition  is  attend"'d  with  danger  : But  the 

Cow-Itch  feems  perfedlfy  inoffenfive  to  the 
human  body,  and  yet  contains  all  that  is  ne- 
ceftary  for  the  deftrudlion  of  worms.  I recom- 
mend its  exhibition,  I am  conndent  both  of 
its  fafety  and  utility. 


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